The Art of Zen
by Arashi-Chan13
Summary: Faye is gone. How far will Spike go to get her back? Or will he try at all? Join them on a journey of self discovery and growth. Sequel to Bebop Zen. SXF
1. CH 1: Lonely Attitude Problems

Disclaimer: I do not own Cowboy Bebop

The Art of Zen Sequel of Bebop Zen 

CH 1: Lonely Attitude Problems

________________________________________________________________________

            Spike lie on the yellow couch staring at the rotating fan blades. A cigarette dangled between his fingers with an inch ash hanging precariously to its ember. Jet walked by the couch and stopped. He sighed and shook his head.

            "Spike, you've been moping around the ship for two weeks now," he said placing his hands on his hips in preparation for a speech. "Don't tell me you've given up. If there's still a chance, which there is, you need to get out there…"

            "And do what? I have no leads," said Spike. The ash from his cigarette fell to the ground as he slowly sat up.

            "You spent the first month waiting for her, two weeks searching, then two weeks sitting on your ass," argued Jet. "If you love her that much…"

            "I never said I loved her," snapped Spike rising to his feet. He brushed past Jet headed for his room.

            Flopping onto his bed, Spike stared at the ceiling. His hand absently groped for a piece of clothing lying crumpled with his sheets. It was one of the shirts she had left behind. He brought it to his face and deeply inhaled her scent. This always proved to be a painful reminder of her lush body lying peacefully next to him. Some nights he still reached out for her. All of his desperate attempts to remain indifferent to her absence were failing. The ache in his heart was becoming agonizing and all too familiar.

            He rolled onto his side and sighed. "God…I miss you, Faye," he whispered, and then drifted off into an uncomfortable sleep.

***  

            Jet sat staring at the bonsai tree before him contemplating his next clip. Eden walked into the room drying her hands on her apron.

            "I'm really starting to worry about him, Jet," she said.

            "Me too, but there's just no motivating that kid. Every time I try to talk to him, he either acts apathetic or gets defensive."

            "I…uh…I have something to tell you…" Eden trailed off unsure of how to continue.

            Jet put down his clippers and looked at her. "Well, what is it?"

            "I…talked to her last week."

            _"What?!_" he blurted out jumping to his feet. "What did she say?!"

            "Shhh!" Eden peeked into the hallway to make sure the coast was clear. "She just wanted to let us know she was okay," she explained.

            "Why didn't you tell me earlier? We could've had Ed trace the call…"

            "Jet," she interrupted placing a hand on his muscular arm. "I don't think she wants to be found."

            Strangely enough, he hadn't really considered that option. He spoke his next thoughts aloud. "What could he have possibly done to drive her away like that?"

            Eden sighed tucking some of her dark hair behind her ear. "I don't think he did anything but get too close to her. Faye is a very defensive and protective person and I think being vulnerable scares her. 

            Jet shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever understand women. You don't seem to work on logic."

            "You should know not everything is logical anyway…especially love," she said smiling up at him.

            "You're right, I guess," he conceded. "Come on, let's go to bed."

***  

            Faye's hand reached from the bed to the dresser grabbing her comm. unit. She slid the device onto the bed next to her resting head and stared at it. Tears began to form in her eyes at the thought of calling home again.

            Home.

            The Bebop.

            "Spike," she whispered, her tears now dampening the pillow.

            She missed him so much that it was down right ridiculous. Her vow to herself never to trust or love a man again was shattered when she fell for that lanky lunkhead. She fought the feeling for months, but it had been no use. It was there to stay and eventually be reciprocated. But it was the strength of the reciprocation that astounded and frightened her.

            As she began to think about how her absence was affecting Spike, nausea churned in her stomach. She had done the exact thing she despised him for. At least when he left he had had the decency to say goodbye. She had contemplated doing the same, but figured he probably would have handcuffed her to the bed, or something equally as outrageous. 

            _I'm sorry, Spike,_ she thought. _It's best this way._

            Her mind went on hold as her emotions drove her stomach to its limit. Flying out of bed, she reached the bathroom just in time to throw up. Hugging the toilet, she alternated between crying and dry heaving. When she finally calmed down enough, she slumped down against the wall and covered her face with her hands.

            "Why am I doing this?" she asked knowing full well nobody would answer.

            Letting her hands drop to the floor she boosted herself to her feet. She walked until she was in the bathroom doorway and leaned against it. What surrounded her was a crummy, run-down, barely furnished hotel room. Her money was damn near gone, there were no bounties on Venus now to resupply her income, it was too damn hot all the time, and she was so homesick she could barely keep down food.

            It was then Faye realized she needed to make a crucial decision.

            Trudging over to her bed, she sat down and once again stared at her comm. unit. Her eyes then traveled up to the nightstand where a faded photo of Spike posing next to his ship was propped. Her conversation with Eden a week ago ran through her mind.

_            "Come back, Faye. He really misses you," implored Eden._

_            "I'll bet," she said rolling her eyes._

_            "No, I'm serious…after he couldn't find you…he hasn't done much of anything. He's not even eating that much," said Eden as stark concern showed on her face._

_            "That should make you guys happy," she said lamely trying to lighten the mood._

_            "It's making us worry," responded Eden. "Listen, Faye…I can't force you to come back, but I know you love him and…"_

_            "I have to go," she said cutting off her friend. "Don't tell anyone I called. Bye."_

            She had cut the link off before Eden could even utter a word. It had been stupid and dangerous to call in the first place and had only proved to further upset her.

            "I can't go back," she said to the picture. "You'll understand, won't you?"

            Just then, her comm. unit started to beep. It had done that a lot the first few weeks she was gone. She hesitantly picked up the device and stared at it. The small screen read that Jet was calling, but who knew if it was really him? Spike could be awfully resourceful when he wanted. She resorted to chucking the offensive object at the wall. When it impacted it shattered into pieces returning the room to its former silence.

~*~

            Spike sighed and set down Jet's comm. unit. He had lost the signal, which probably meant she finally destroyed her unit. And she had been clever enough not to answer. Damn clever women. They always left him.

            Walking back to his room through an empty, dark ship, he berated himself for even getting involved with the vixen in the first place. It made him angry to think he had finally opened up to another woman and she had ultimately decided to ditch him. He had so many questions he wanted to ask her, but she was so utterly lost to him now. But hadn't Faye always been lost?

***  

            Spike trudged through the common room exhausted, dressed only in his boxers, and in search of coffee. Eden looked up at him startled as he made his way to the coffee maker in the kitchen.

            "Would it kill you to put some clothes on?" she joked as she prepared breakfast. She received an unintelligible grumble as a response.

            "Spike!" said Jet as he peeked his head through the doorway. "Get ready to go after breakfast. Ed found us another good bounty."

            More grumbling ensued. Spike took his coffee cup and slugged past Jet into the common room to collapse on the couch. Four hours of toss and turn sleep made him cranky. He desperately hoped the coffee could wake him the hell up. He took a sip and sighed as the warm liquid reached his stomach. He could already feel the caffeine beginning to permeate into his system. Ed was sitting on the floor next to the couch typing away at Tomato as Ein napped beside her.

            "Ed…where's the bounty?" he asked roughly.

            "Bounty-man is on Mars," she answered gazing up at him briefly through her green goggles.

            "Great. Exactly where I don't want to go," he mumbled stealing a cigarette from the pack lying on the coffee table.

            "Hey, guys! Breakfast is ready!" called Eden.

***   

            Spike wandered through the busy streets of Rome, Mars. It was the largest city built on Mars, and served as a huge tourist attraction boasting replicas of famous ancient structures of Earth. The bounty was currently hiding out here. His name was Curtis Boyd and he was wanted on several accounts of murder.

            Through his mechanized sunglasses, Spike surveyed the bustling crowd of people. He came to a rest as the replica of the Parthenon, leaning casually against one of its large columns. Jet stealthed his way through people on the adjacent street halting near a replica of an ancient bathhouse. 

            "See anything yet?" Jet asked through his comm. unit.

            "Nope," said Spike continuing to scan the pedestrians. He suddenly saw a man in the distance fitting the bounty's physical description. He zoomed the sunglasses view in on the man and was faced with the exact image Ed had shown them earlier.

            "Found him. I'm heading out," he said breaking into a run. As he sprinted towards the man in question, a particularly distracting image graced his vision. A woman passed in front of the unsuspecting bounty. He recognized the lithe, casually dressed body and silky, straight black hair instantly.

            _"Faye?!"_ he called out in surprise making a b-line mad dash for her retreating figure.

            "Spike? Where the hell are you going?!" yelled Jet into his comm. unit as he raced towards the bounty that Spike had just completely bypassed. Receiving no response, he tackled the bounty himself, quickly slapping handcuffs on Boyd before he even knew what was happening.

            Spike's long legs carried him after Faye, but he quickly lost sight of her through the jumbled mess of people. It didn't stop him from wading through them for several more minutes desperately searching for her face. He soon gave up standing motionless and dejected as people ceaselessly moved around him.

***   

            "You're cracking up, Spike," said Jet sternly as he stared at his partner poking at his dinner.

            "No, I'm not," said Spike throwing Jet a nasty scowl. "It was her, I know it was."

            "Are you sure you weren't seeing things? There's a lot of women on Mars who could look like Faye," Eden offered.

            "Whatever," said Spike refusing to debate the topic any further. Deciding not to poke at his dinner anymore, he stood up and walked out of the room. 

            Edward, who had been eyeing his plate, happily scooted over and devoured the abandoned food.

To be continued…hopefully soon…

~*~*~*~*~*~

Authors Note:

_Finally!_ I got done typing the first chapter of the Bebop Zen sequel! Took a lot longer than expected, but, hey…better late than never. (code of the procrastinator with too much homework) Hope you enjoyed reading it. I have the next chapter mostly wrote, just have to type it. Must….focus….


	2. CH 2: Desperation

The Art of Zen 

* * *

CH 2: Desperation

He couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten this drunk. It must have been before his second "death". Tonight, he was reliving a torturous experience. Even though it wasn't all that clear in his mind anymore, he remembered when Julia had abandoned him in a similar fashion. What had he done about it? Gotten drunk as often as possible. It had helped, if only a little.

Tonight, his alcohol offered him no solace, though. He was on his seventh whisky sour and still miserable, though quite buzzed. After leaving the Bebop in a silent rage, he had wandered the streets of Rome looking for the cheapest bar he could find. This was not an easy task seeing Rome was geared towards tourists and usually fairly pricey no matter where you went. But, he had obtained his goal, finding a seedy little bar named "The Caesar" not far from the docks where the Bebop currently resided.

Whether he wanted to admit it to himself or not, he knew the main reason he decided to go sightseeing was to look for Faye. That is, if the woman he saw earlier was even Faye to begin with. He wasn't really too sure of anything right now, and this highly irritated him.

Out of the corner of his ridiculously accurate mechanical eye, he saw a woman approach the bar. The cramped building was very poorly lit and full of smoke, but he could see her long, thin legs and full breasts beneath her red sundress. She also wore a straw hat, which was common for the tourists in this city, and strappy red heels. Apparently, she was over dressed for the occasion because she immediately started to attract attention. Before she could even order a drink, Spike watched incognito as two large and rough looking men began to hit on the woman. One of them blocked his view and he discreetly stood up to aid the damsel in distress. Unfortunately, he had not realized how drunk he was until he was on his feet. He braced himself against the bar for several seconds before he regained his equilibrium and cautiously approached the woman and her admirers.

"Fucking _creep!_ Back off!" screeched the woman.

Suddenly, one of the men flew back colliding with the unprepared Spike and sent them both tumbling to the floor. Spike nearly lost consciousness as he was crushed between the hulking mass of the man and the filthy floor. He quickly shoved the man aside and sat up just in time to see the other crumple to the floor minus a few teeth. His drunken gaze traveled up the woman's legs to her face in awe.

Her eyes suddenly locked with his from beneath the large brim of her hat. Then her mouth fell open and the color drained from her face.

"Spike?" she asked in a whisper, but he still heard her.

He couldn't even respond. He remained sitting on the floor soundlessly moving his mouth unable to form words. When she bolted out of the building suddenly, he quickly snapped back into reality and scrambled to chase her. His voice, when he found it, was like thunder.

**_"Faye!"_**

* * *

She grasped the railing of the docks panting for breath, her hat now gone. She wondered if she had lost him in her mad dash. She wasn't sure why she had run. He had been the person she was looking for. Her erratic behavior knew no bounds, apparently.

**_"Faye!"_**

A gasp escaped her as she heard her name being called. It sounded like some god had called out to her, it was so loud. As she panicked trying to contemplate a plan of action, he zeroed in on her at lightening speed. Then came the impact, far sooner than she had anticipated. His body tackled hers to the wooden dock below and pinned it there. She lay there perfectly still and rigid with fear as he caught his breath, forehead pressed to the dock beside her head. Would he try to kill her?

"Why?" She heard his whisper next to her ear. "Why did you leave?"

"I…I had to," she choked out trying to calm her racing heart.

Spike finally lifted his head and nailed her with a serious stare. "Are you going to run again?"

She shook her head and he climbed to his feet, helping her up also. He asked her if she was hurt and she shook her head again. This wasn't at all how he had imagined their reunion would be. He stared at her. She stared at the water.

"Faye," he said grabbing her shoulders and turning her to face him.

She stared back at him, wide eyed and overwhelmed. Never had he said her name with such a pleading tone. He was begging her to say something…anything.

"I was…looking for you," she offered with a weak, forced smile.

It was enough. He suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. He had missed the way her hair smelled, the way her skin felt, the way her body molded to his own when he held her. He even missed her screaming at him. He felt so euphoric, so gratified at that moment, that he sighed.

"Spike…you reek of alcohol," said Faye wrinkling her nose. She didn't mention he was also sweaty. Rome was hot this time of year.

He released her and looked down at her with a growing smirk. "At least I didn't get into a bar fight this time."

"At least," she said with a smile of her own. Ah, the memories of Spike's bar brawls.

"That's the way I like to see you…just like that," he said with a soft look to his normally stern eyes.

This look always bothered Faye, for some odd reason. Maybe it was because she didn't trust him all that well. Maybe it was because she thought he didn't possess such tender emotions. Okay, maybe there were a lot of reasons. On an impulse, she grabbed his arm and started pulling him behind her.

"Where are we going?" he asked stumbling slightly.

"To my room for a little privacy," she answered.

Of course, Faye had to stop and pick up a bottle of Jack Daniels on the way to the motel. This was definitely a get drunk occasion and she had some catching up to do. She unlocked the door to the small, quaint, yet clean room and yanked the dazed Spike in after her.

"God, are you always this retarded when you're drunk?" she asked as he flopped down onto the bed.

He didn't respond, so she grabbed a plastic cup from the vanity and poured herself some J.D. The first sip was bitter, but the next was smooth. Spike sat up, as if the aroma of the liquor raised him from the dead. She silently set to pouring him a cup and handed it to him not really caring if he'd already had enough. The man should know his own limits. Sitting on the opposite side of the bed, she continued to sip at her drink and stare at the wall. Silence ruled the room for several minutes.

"Did you look for me?" asked Faye, her low tone barely audible.

"Yeah," said Spike downing his drink far too quickly. "Where were you?" He was too drunk at this point to care about his pride and apathy.

"Here and there," she said still not looking at him. "Mostly Venus…I'm almost out of money. There were no bounties."

He nodded absently, and then stood up to refresh his alcoholic beverage. "Why did you leave?" he asked again, vaguely recalling she had not truly answered this question.

"Because…because you're going to hurt me," she stated growing louder. "They all do in the end."

"What? Why would I do that?" asked Spike confusion evident in his expression.

"Because you don't love me, you asshole!" she screamed slamming her cup down on the nightstand. "Love is too much of a risk for the almighty Spike fucking Spiegel!" She stood up to add emphasis to her statement.

"Don't tell me how I feel," demanded Spike bitterly. "You have no idea how I feel about you."

"You're right! I don't! And that is a problem." She was in his face now, hardly one to back down from a good argument.

Stupidly enough, all Spike could think about as she gave him the death stare was how incredibly beautiful she looked. Her dark hair was slightly tousled, her emerald eyes sparked with anger, her thin limbs trembled with the surge of adrenaline rushing through them. Did he really love this wild woman? He couldn't think straight in his present stupor. He opted for no comment as he took another gulp of Jack.

"That's what I thought," she spat turning her back on him and returning to her own drink. She fished a cigarette out of the nightstand drawer and lit it. He sat near her setting his drink on the floor. Rolling her eyes, she offered him her cigarette and got another one out.

"Faye…I've missed you," he said deciding it was better to confess this than hide it. "More than I thought I would."

"Me too," she responded quietly.

The sudden urge to touch her overwhelmed him. His unsteady hand reached out and he ran his fingers through her hair. The hand came to a rest on the back of her neck and he pulled her into a willing kiss. The moment seemed to last forever and Faye swore she was getting drunk off of the alcoholic fumes emanating from his mouth. Hands continued to grope at her and she couldn't find the strength of will to tell him to stop. It felt good. It felt natural. Damn carnal sins of the flesh, they always got the best of her.

On instinct, she reached down and pulled her red dress off over her head. He fumbled haphazardly with the buttons of his yellow shirt before rashly tearing it open and tossing it aside, where it rest beside his jacket. Looking down, with the astonishment that only a drunk could possess, he realized Faye had already undone his pants. _She's a quick little devil,_ he mused before ungracefully pulling off the remainder of his clothing. He had no idea where their cigarettes had gone and hoped she had taken care of them.

She felt his weight crush her into the mattress and reveled in the comfortability of it. He made love to her slowly, trying to draw out each minute and remember it. It felt more like a dream than reality and his head was spinning by the time he finished. Next thing he knew, he was on his back and she was straddling his waist. She liked to work this way, in turns. Gave her the opportunity to show off her "skills". She brought him into ecstasy twice more before he begged her to stop, which she found highly amusing.

"Awww…can't handle your alcohol, Spike?" she teased while looking down at his sweaty and exhausted body. Of all things, Faye did believe she missed pestering him the most.

"No, I can't handle you," he said in a sleepy tone while wearing a smirk. He paused and his face relaxed. "If I pass out…will you be here in the morning?"

"Yes. Go to sleep, Spike."

He didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Within seconds, he lost consciousness sinking into a world of dreams.

* * *

To Be Continued…

* * *

Author's Note:

Hope this one wasn't too disappointing. Lately, I have had little inspiration to write. Or, I'll write some of a chapter and not type it for a month. What can I say? Summer down here is a time to be lazy. It's too damn hot. I believe it was kind of rushed to get Spike and Faye back together so quickly, but…I really can't stand to write them apart that long, honestly. I am currently brainstorming some new ideas for the next chappie, but it may take a little time. I don't want to have to sacrifice quality for speed. But, it won't take that long, I'm sure. Thanks for reading, hope it wasn't too short, and Thank You so much to my reviewers! I deeply appreciate your input!


End file.
